Oh, God.

I was talking with an spiritual coach I know recently, about her experience with clientele on the East Coast (US), vrs. my experience of Santa Fe spiritual counseling. In general she felt there was a more open attitude toward personal growth out West. Having lived and worked on both coasts and in between, I would tend to agree — as a generality. (Of course if you’re on the East Coast I’m talking about those other people, not you!)

But the thing that most caught my attention was when she mentioned people she’s worked with recently seem to have a problem with God, or calling God “God”. A lot of her clients seem to feel more comfortable with terms like “The Universe”, or “Spirit”, or “Source”, etc. I’ve noticed the same thing in my spiritual counseling practice.

I get it, though. In some cases, it’s a reaction to early exposure to organized religion that didn’t resonate, or worse, was forced on us without mercy. The word “God” has too much charge on it, so we look for another way to describe an all encompassing spiritual force. Or, maybe we’re trying to find a way to depersonalize the “man in the sky” concept of God. Or, maybe we were severely persecuted in a past life in the name of God, and God isn’t a concept that makes us feel so warm and fuzzy today.

I think it’s fine to use whatever term we want to refer to divinity. But I do see some advantages to using the word God, and praying to a “personal” God, especially if it makes us uncomfortable!

One advantage is that if we have any kind of charge against God, that charge is anger, fear, resentment etc. that we have within us, and unless we like carrying that stuff around, it needs to go. Using the word God instead of avoiding it gives us the opportunity to clear the charge.

Another advantage, and this is a huge one, is that we come to Earth School to learn a few basic lessons, and surrender (AKA “letting go”) is a major one. And in order to surrender, we’ve got to surrender TO something. As the AA folks put it, we need to surrender to “a power greater than ourselves”. When it comes to surrender, the concept of a personal all-powerful, all-knowing God allows us to get our deepest work done. Surrendering to “The Universe” is like “surrender lite”. It’s OK to start with, but doesn’t quite have the same depth of commitment.

And so my suggestion, if you’re open to suggestion, is that if you happen to find yourself uncomfortable with the word “God” for any reason, try using it for a while, and see what sort of milage you get. If you choose to do really that, I’d be interested to know what happens.

Kind Words

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Lighter than air

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Core Issues

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True Inner Peace

“I’ve known Max Highstein for several years now, and he has helped me immeasurably in my own emergence as a spiritual teacher, and as a person. He’s someone I feel I can call to address issues that are difficult for me to get to.
As a spiritual teacher, healer and facilitator myself, I know how important it is to keep myself expanding and keep myself releasing all that is old and no longer supporting me.
Max has a unique capacity for hooking me up with my guides, my angels, my support on high, and helping me…

Testimony From A Spiritual Teacher

“I’ve been working with Max for about 6 months now, and I came to Santa Fe from Canada around that time period.
Max was someone who was able to help me with both mundane problems and greater spiritual questions that I have. For example, after I moved into my place, there was an armed robbery about a block away from me, and Max was able to help me deal with the fear and the anger and confusion about that; and reframe it in a way that was less emotional and help me move on from that…

Mundane Problems to Big Spiritual Questions

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Balance Restored

I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Max, from a professional level and obviously from a personal level.
Max has a unique and powerful way of helping me and teaching me how to get to the core of any issue. And what I mean by that is that he has taught me how to connect deeply with myself, with my heart.
So that the work we do is actually from the inside, going out. And what that allows for an incredibly empowering position for me, because then regardless of whatever circumstances come…

Heart Centered Empowerment

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“You taught me to forget about what’s going on in my head, and get into my heart. Just sit there and just feel. To get rid of negativity and the tapes that play in your mind, telling…

No Longer Trapped by Negative Thoughts

“Today I had a session with max and it was incredible. It was so supportive and loving, and I feel much more like myself after the session. I feel grounded, I feel really expanded.
What Max told me in the session was very right on, very accurate for what I needed to hear at this time in my life, and during this transition that I’m going through in starting my own business. Max really got clearly and accurately what I needed to hear, and told me the things that are going to be essential for…

Essential Information & Energy Work

“I so appreciated our session. The messages gave me such a sense of “yes”, which after stumbling in the dark for so long is pretty significant and affirming. Now I have movement and direction.”

Movement & Direction

“I’ve been a client of Max Highstein’s for about 3 years. For about 4 decades before I met Max I did a lot of reading, seminars, and spiritual practices, all in an attempt to get back to being who I think I really am. But until I met Max, I didn’t really think I was getting anywhere.
Max has an incredible intuitive nature, and remarkable spiritual knowledge. Having a session with Max was like being with my best friend — someone who I know loved me, didn’t judge me, and always told me the truth.
Since…